Seed packet display rack



May 24, 1960 J. v. INGOLD SEED PACKET DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1958 INVENTOR.

JOHN 1/. IIVGOlD Arrnk/VA'YS May 24, 1960 J. v. INGOLD SEED PACKET DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1958 III/Il/l/Il'l/ll "IIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ INVENTOR.

oy/V Y. //V600 ATTORIVf/S May 24, 1960 J. v. INGOLD SEED PACKET DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Ja/l/V V. //v6o40 20414; a PM United States, Patent snnn PACKET DISPLAY RACK John V. Ingold, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Ferry- Morse Seed Co., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan V, I g

Filed Jan. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 709,636

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-130) This invention relates to an improved display stand for displaying packets of seed for sale.

An object is to provide a display stand so constructed that the entire front face of each seed packet carried thereby is visible to the purchaser. 7

Another object is to provide a seed packet display stand which is so constructed as to be capable of being partially disassembled and folded into a small space for shipment and storage.

A further object is the provision of an improved seed packet display stand comprising a main frame assembly adapted to be supported in an upright rearwardly sloping position and having a sub-frame assembly pivotally supported within the lower half thereof spaced from the back wall of the mainframe assembly providing a storage space therebetween. This sub-frame assembly car-I ries a plurality of seed packet display trays disposed in upwardly spaced succession.

Another object is the provision of a seed packet display stand as hereinabove described wherein the packet display trays are individually removably supported with: in the stand and the back wall of the stand is made up of hinged sections adapted to be folded together or to be unfolded into planar relationship and the side walls of the display stand are adapted to fold against the back wall sections or to be unfolded to a position perpendicular with respect thereto.

A meritorious feature is the provision of a seed packet display stand as described hereinabove wherein the subframe assembly is so swingably supported within the main frame assembly as to normally occupy an upright rearwardly sloping position but adapted to be swung forwardly of such position to provide access toa storage space rearwardly of the sub-frame assembly.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will more fully appear from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a seed packet display case embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the left-hand top corner of the said display stand;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the right-hand top corner of the said display stand;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a top-corner of one side of the sub-frame showing the transverse cross piece disassembled;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the main frame and subframe folded as shown in cross section in Fig. 9;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective of a bottom corner taken from the inside showing the bottom cross piece;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of a fragmentary character showing the attachment of the bottom wall 40 to a side wall 20 through bracket 42;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken onthe line 9-9 of Fig. 6; and e 1o the succeeding tray. The trays themselves are formed 2,937,764 Patented May 24, 1960 a the front faces of thevarious groups of pacekts throughout their entire area to a purchaser. The seed packets are carried in trays. These trays are spaced in succession one above the other and so disposed that the packets of one tray do not overlap the faces of the packets of of transparent or translucent material such as plastic so that the front face of the packet which is behind the front wall of the tray can be seen therethrough.

The seed display stand comprises a main frame assembly which consists of complementary opposed side walls 20 which may be formed of plywood or the like swingably secured to complementary halves 22 of a back wall section. These complementary halves 22 of the back wall section are hinged together by means ofhinges 24 so that these two half sections 22 may be swung back to back as shown in Fig. 9. The side walls 20 are hinged to the adjacent back wall sections by hinges 26 so that the side walls may be folded into the relationship shown in Fig. 9. The folded relationship shown in Fig. 9 is for the purpose of disposing the seed display stand within a small space for storage and/ or shipment.

There is a header spacer 28 shown in Figs. '1, 3, and 4 which is adapted to'be removably supported between the sidewalls 20 and adjacent to the back wall 22 as shown in Figs. l-4. This header member maybe formed of plywood or any other suitable board-like material. One end is grooved as at 30 to be received over a flange of an angle bracket 32 as shown in Fig. 3. This angle bracket 32 is secured to the left-hand side wall 20 at the place shown in Fig. 3. The right-hand end of the header element 28 is not grooved as is the left-hand end. This right-hand end is adapted to seat upon a flange of an angle bracket 34. This angle bracket 34 is secured to the right-hand side wall 20 as shown in Fig. 4. The flange upon 'which'the right-hand end of the header 28 seats is indicated as 36 and is provided with an upturned end or ear 38 adapted to hold the header element in place. This header element is disposed in place as described ,when

the display stand is in use. It is readily removable for packaging and storage. It will hold the top of the main frame assembly spaced as shown in Fig. l.

The main frame is provided with a bottom or sill spacer 40 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8. This ele-f ment 40 may be formed of wood or any other suitable material. It is a boardlike member. Each of the oppov site side walls 20 is provided with two angle brackets; 42 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I The ends of the bottomwall 40 are received removably upon these angle bracketsas shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 8. This bottom wall 40 may be detachably hooked to the back section 22 adjacent to each end by a hook element 44 as shown in Figs. 2 and; 7. The ends of the bottom wall 40 may be secured by; pins 41 removably to the brackets 42 as shown in Fig. 8.1 The front margin of this bottom wall 40 is providedI with an angular ledge 46 which carries a card-retaining: plate 48. This ledge 46 and plate 48 extend along the front margin of the section 40 as shown. The plate .48. is adapted to receive a displaycard which might carry the name of the company and certain other advertising; and/or notice data. This printed card is not shown on; the drawing. It is apparent that it could be removably; received underneath the inturned edges 50 of the plate; 48- I vi To support the stand each side wall 20 is provided, with a supporting leg structure in the form of asp, shaped pair of legs 52 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Such 3 U-shaped leg structure may bolts 54 which extend through the side wall and through the leg as shown in Fig. 10. Each such bolt is provided with a wing nut or the like 56 and each leg might be provided with'three such bolts as shown in Fig. 2.- The legs may be provided with casters .58 orthe like.

This main frame assembly carries a plurality of seed packet trays which are disposed in staggered succession as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These trays are indicated by the numeral 60 and each tray is individually removably supported 'as illustrated. The tray may preferably be formed of transparent plastic which is molded into a tray form having a bottom wall, a back wall, a front wall, and two end walls, and wherein the front wall is of less height than the back wall as shown. Each tray is divided into a series of packet-containing compartments by partitions 62 as shown in Fig. 1. These partition walls are molded at the same time that the tray is molded. Due to the fact that the tray is formed of transparent plastic, it is apparent that the front faces of the front packets arranged within the compartments are readily visible throughout their entire area. The trays are so disposed that no tray overlaps an adjacent tray.

These trays are arranged in two groups. The lower group is carried within a sub-frame. This sub-frame is indicated generally in Fig. 2 by the numeral 64. This sub-frame comprises a pair of complementary oppositely disposed side plates 66 which may be formed of metal or the like. One side plate is disposed adjacent to one side wall 20 of the main frame. The other side plate is disposed adjacent to the opposite side wall 20. The two side plates are held in spaced-apart relationship at the top by an angular header member 68. This header member is secured to an angle bracket 70 mounted on the side plate 66 by a stud 72 and cotter pin 74 as shown in Fig. 5. This header 68 is provided with a handle portion 76 which may be gripped for swinging the subframe as hereinafter described.

The sub-frame is pivotally supported upon a pair of screws or studs 78, one for each side plate 66. These studs extend through the side plates and into the side walls 20 to pivotally support the side frame. Fig. 2 shows in solid line the sub-frame as disposed in its normal position sloping rearwardly and with its upper end resting upon an angle bracket 80 by the side wall 20. The sub-frame occupies this position normally when in use. The sub-frame may be swung forwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. In such dotted line position the lower end of the sub-frame comes into abutment with an angle bracket 90 which prevents the sub-frame from being swung further forwardly.

When the sub-frame is swung to the upright dotted line position it exposes the interior of the main frame 7 rearwardly thereof. This interior of the main frame rearwardly of the sub-frame is a storage space. Within this storage space seed packets or supplemental trays may be stored and readily removed for use by swinging the sub-frame forwardly to the dotted line position.

The trays themselves are supported at their opposite ends upon ears or lugs 92 which are punched up out of the side plates 66. These are shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 5. Three such lugs are sufiicient to engage and support an end of a tray as shown particularly in Fig. 2. It is also apparent that the tray may be readily removed therefrom as also shown in such figure.

It will be seen that this sub-frame and its trays occupy the lower half of the space between the side walls 20. The upper half of such space is occupied by the second group of trays. The second group of trays is not swingably supported. It comprises a series of trays 60 which are in all respects similar to the trays heretofore described. These trays are disposed between the pair of side plates 94. These side plates 94 are attached to the side walls 20 of the main frame by screws 96 or the like. These side plates 94 differ from the side plates .66 in that be secured to its side wall by i the side plates 66 are provided along their rear margins with a stiffening flange 67 shown in Fig. 5. The side plates 94 are flat plates as shown in Fig. 2. The side plates 94 are provided with the tray-supporting cars 92 as heretofore described in connection with the side plates 66.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the display stand as assembled for use occupying its upright position with the trays in place. Figs. 6 and 9 show the display stand as knocked down and folded up. To package the display stand as shown in Figs. 6 and 9 the trays 64 are removed. Fig. 2 shows how a tray may be removed. The header mem ber 68 is then removed from the top of the sub-frame in a manner clearly apparent from Fig. 5. The header member 28 is then removed from the main frame and the sill spacer is likewise removed therefrom. The complementary back sections 22 of the back wall may then be folded together swinging upon the hinges 24. The side walls 20 may then be folded as shown in Fig. 9. It will be understood that the legs 52 will have been removed by unfastening the bolts 54. The legs and the header pieces and the sill piece can then be assembled together with the folded-upstand within a suitable carton. The trays can be disposed within a separate carton and the same is then prepared for shipment or storage.

What I claim is:

1. A seed packet display stand having a back wall and two opposed side walls and provided with legs supporting the same whereby the back wall extends generally upwardly sloping rearwardly, said back wall comprising two generally upright back wall sections hinged together to be folded back to back or to be unfolded into a generally planar relationship, one side wall hinged to the outer margin of one back wall section and the other side wall hinged to the outer margin of the other back wall section, said side walls adapted to be folded to overlie the back wall sections or to be unfolded into a generally perpendicular position with respect thereto, a pair of side plates fixed one to each side wall overlying the upper half thereof, a plurality of seed packet display trays individually removably disposed extending transversely between said side plates and supported thereby in spaced upright succession, a pair of side plates pivoted one to each side wall overlying the lower half thereof, said side plates pivoted to opposed points of the side walls adjacent to the lower ends thereof and spaced from the back wall, means extending between the side plates holding them in spaced-apart relation, a plurality of seed packet display trays individually removably disposed extending transversely between said pivoted side plates and supported thereby, said pivoted side plates and trays adapted to swing as a unit into position between the side walls or into a position projecting outwardly beyond the side walls, said side walls provided with means adapted to support the pivoted side plates within the plane of the side walls and provided with means adapted to support the side plates at determined position to swing outwardly from between the side walls.

2. A seed packet display stand comprising, in combination, a back wall, a pair of opposed side walls, said back wall formed of two upright wall sections hinged to each other to be folded into overlapping relationship or to be disposed in planar relationship, said side walls hinged to the outer margins of the back wall sections to be folded thereover or to be unfolded to stand substantially perpendicular with respect thereto, a header member removably disposed between the tops of the side walls overlying the back wall, a sill member removably disposed between the bottoms of the side walls overlying the back wall, leg elements detachably con nected with the two side walls to support the stand in an upright rearwardly sloping position, the upper halves of; the two side walls provided on their inner faces with supports for a plurality of seed packet display trays to extend therebetween, a plurality of seed packet display trays removably received between the outer halves of the side walls mounted on said supports, a side plate pivotally mounted upon the inner face of each side wall overlying the lower half of said wall, said side plates pivotally mounted on the opposite sidewalls at opposite points adjacent to the lower ends of said walls and spaced from the back wall, a spacer member removably received between the upper ends of said side plates, said side plates provided upon their inner faces with supports for a plurality of seed packet trays, a plurality of seed packet trays individually removably disposed between the side plates and mounted on said supports to extend transversely between the side plates, said side plates and trays carried thereby swingable as a unit from a position between the side walls to a position projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and abutments carried by the side walls adapted to be engaged by the side plates to support the same within the plane of the side walls and at a position projecting upwardly and outwardly with respect to the side walls.

3. A seed packet display case as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the two opposite side walls have a depth at their bottom ends substantially greater than the depth of the side plates pivoted thereto and taper from their bottom ends toward their top ends to a depth not substantially greater than the pivoted side plates and characterized further in that the seed packet trays supported between the side walls are formed of transparent material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,171 Poles et a1 Dec. 22, 1908' 1,708,588 Proctor Apr. 9, 1929 2,067,051 Hall Ian. 5, 1937 2,139,009 Ford et a1. Dec. 6, 1938 2,356,688 OReilly Aug. 22, 1944 2,527,228 Overman Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 174,716 Great Britain Jan. 30, 1922 

